A3 adenosine receptor antagonists and partial agonists

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are A 3  adenosine receptor antagonists and/or partial agonists of formula (I): wherein R 1  to R 5  are as described herein, as well as pharmaceutical compositions thereof and methods of use thereof. The antagonists or partial agonists find use in treating a number of diseases including cancer, glaucoma, inflammatory diseases, asthma, stroke, myocardial infarction, allergic reactions, rhinitis, poison ivy induced responses, urticaria, scleroderma, arthritis, brain arteriole diameter constriction, bronchoconstriction, and myocardial ischemia, as well as in preventing cardiac ischemia. Also disclosed are radiolabeled compounds of formula (I) and the use thereof in diagnostic imaging of tissues and organs.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/085,588, filed Aug. 1, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are four subtypes of receptors for adenosine, designated A₁, A_(2A), A_(2B), and A₃. The A₃ adenosine receptor is found primarily in the central nervous system, brain, testes, and the immune system, where it appears to be involved in the modulation of release from mast cells of mediators of the immediate hypersensitivity reaction (Ramkumar et al., J. Biol. Chem., 268, 16887-16890 (1993)).

It is believed that A₃ adenosine receptor selective antagonists should serve as cerebroprotective, antiasthmatic, or anti-inflammatory agents. It is also believed that A₃ adenosine receptor selective antagonists should serve in the treatment of glaucoma, for example, in reducing intraocular pressure. Research activity is evident in the area of A₃ adenosine receptor antagonists; see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,066,642 and 6,528,516 and WO 2008/055711. Accordingly, there is a desire to find new A₃ adenosine receptor antagonists.

Further, A₃ adenosine receptor partial agonists, are advantageous in cardioprotection and produce anti-ischemic effects. Partial agonists also tend to have less side effects than full agonists. In addition, partial agonists are less likely to produce desensitization of the receptor as compared to full agonists. Accordingly, partial agonists can activate the receptor for a longer duration and achieve longer lasting response. Accordingly, there is a desire to find new A₃ adenosine receptor partial agonists.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of use of the compounds. The compounds of the invention are antagonists, or partial agonists, of the A₃ adenosine receptor and are purine analogs having substituents at the N⁶—, 2-, and 9-, and optionally at the 8-position, of the purine core. The compounds have a constrained ring or a rigid bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane ring at the 9-position of the purine core, which provides high potency and selectivity to the A₃ adenosine receptor and at the same time lack a substituent on the 4′-position of the bicyclo hexane ring. The absence of a 4′-substituent in many of the compounds leads to lack of activation of the A₃ adenosine receptor. Many of the compounds act as partial agonists.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a reaction scheme to prepare compounds 7b-13b in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. a) 7 steps (see Joshi et al. Nucleosides, Nucleotides, and Nucleic Acids 2008, 27, 279 and Joshi et al. J. Org. Chem. 2005, 70, 439); b) TBDPS-Cl, imidazole, DMF; c) NaOH, H₂O, MeOH, reflux; d) 2-mercaptopyridine N-oxide, DCC, toluene; e) (Me₃Si)₃SiH, AIBN, toluene; f) Bu₄NF, THF; g) 2,6-dichloropurine, PPh₃, DIAD, THF; h) RNH₂, EtOH; i) TFA/H₂O/MeOH.

FIG. 2 depicts a reaction scheme to prepare compounds 19a-19g in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 depicts compounds 22a-22g in accordance with an embodiment of the invention and reaction schemes to prepare compounds 20a-20g and 21a-21g.

FIG. 4 depicts functional antagonism by the compound 7b of the invention in the guanine nucleotide binding assay ([³⁵S]GTPγS) in membranes of CHO cells expressing human A₃AR.

FIG. 5 depicts functional agonism of compounds 7b and 9b in accordance with an embodiment of the invention in an assay of adenylate cyclase membranes of CHO cells expressing hA₃AR. The full agonist NECA (5′-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine), representing 100% efficiency, is shown comparison.

FIG. 7A depicts the non-specific, specific, and total binding of [¹²⁵I] 7b on mouse A₃ adenosine receptor. FIG. 7B depicts the extent of specific binding as a function of the concentration of the compound.

FIG. 8 depicts the biodistribution of Br-76 labeled compound 9b at 15, 60, and 120 min post injection in rats. The Y-axis represents % Initial Dose per gram and X-axis shows various organs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is predicated on the concept that compounds having a ring constrained substituent or a rigid bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane ring at the 9-position which provides high potency as an antagonist and selectivity to the A₃ adenosine receptor, or as a partial agonist of the A₃ adenosine receptor, and at the same time lack a substituent on the 4-position of the bicycle hexane ring.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a compound of Formula I:

wherein

R¹ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₁-C₆ alkoxy, hydroxyl, C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl, C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₃-C₈ dicycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₇-C₁₄ tricycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ diaryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkoxy, C₁-C₆ alkyl carbonyl, sulfonyl, C₁-C₆ alkyl sulfonyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl sulfonyl, heterocyclyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, 4-[[[4-[[[(2-amino C₁-C₆ alkyl)amino]-carbonyl]-C₁-C₆ alkyl]aniline]carbonyl]C₁-C₆ alkyl]C₆-C₁₄ aryl, and C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl, wherein the aryl or heterocyclyl portion of R¹ is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, amino, hydroxyl, carboxy, C₁-C₆ alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, C₁-C₆ alkylaminocarbonyl, C₁-C₆ dialkyl aminocarbonyl, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₂-C₆ alkenyl, C₂-C₆ alkynyl, C₁-C₆ alkoxy, C₆-C₁₄ aryloxy, hydroxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkenyl, hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkynyl, carboxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, carboxy C₂-C₆ alkenyl, carboxy C₂-C₆ alkynyl, aminocarbonyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, aminocarbonyl C₂-C₆ alkenyl, aminocarbonyl C₂-C₆ alkynyl, and C≡C—(CH₂)_(n)—COR⁷ wherein R⁷ is selected from the group consisting of OH, OR⁸, and NR⁹R¹⁰, wherein R⁸ is selected from the group consisting of C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl, C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₃-C₈ dicycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₇-C₁₄ tricycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ and diaryl C₁-C₆ alkyl; and R⁹ and R¹⁰ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C₁-C₆ alkyl, and (CH₂)_(n)R¹¹ wherein R¹¹ is NR¹²R¹³, wherein R¹² and R¹³ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C₁-C₆ alkyl, and COR¹⁴ wherein R¹⁴ is hydrogen or C₁-C₆ alkyl; wherein n is an integer from 1 to 10; and the alkyl or cycloalkyl portion of R¹ is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, amino, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₁-C₆ alkoxy, C₆-C₁₄ aryloxy, C₁-C₆ hydroxyalkyl, C₂-C₆ hydroxyalkenyl, C₂-C₆ hydroxy alkynyl, aminocarbonyl C₁-C₆ alkoxy, and C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkoxy;

R² is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, amino, hydrazido, mercapto, C₁-C₂₀ alkylamino, C₆-C₁₄ aryl amino, C₆-C₁₄ aryloxy, C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₁-C₂₀ alkoxy, C₁-C₂₀ thioalkoxy, pyridylthio, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C(═O)—O—C₁-C₆ alkyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C(═O)—NH—(CH₂)_(n)—NH₂, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C₁-C₆ alkyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)-aryl, wherein m and n are independently 1 to 10, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, and the alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl portion of R² is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, sulfur, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkyl aminocarbonyl, aminoalkyl aminocarbonyl, and trialkylsilyl;

R³ and R⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, thiol, ureido, C₁-C₆ alkyl carbonylamino, hydroxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, and hydrazinyl; and

R⁵ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₂-C₆ alkenyl, C₂-C₆ alkynyl, heteroaryl, and C₁-C₆ aminoalkyl;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

The term “aryl” refers to aromatic moieties such as phenyl, naphthyl, anthracenyl, and biphenyl. The term “heterocyclyl” refers to 3-7 membered rings which can be saturated or unsaturated or heteroaromatic, comprising carbon and one or more heteroatoms such as O, N, and S, and optionally hydrogen; optionally in combination with one or more aromatic rings. Examples of heterocyclyl groups include pyridyl, piperidinyl, piperazinyl, pyrazinyl, pyrolyl, pyranyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrothiopyranyl, pyrrolidinyl, furanyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, thienyl, furyl, thiophenyl, tetrahydrothiophenyl, purinyl, pyrimidinyl, thiazolyl, thiazolidinyl, thiazolinyl, oxazolyl, tetrazolyl, tetrazinyl, benzoxazolyl, morpholinyl, thiomorpholinyl, quinolinyl, and isoquinolinyl. Examples of heteroaryl alkyl include heteroaryl methyl such as 2- or 3-methyl substituted groups, e.g., thienylmethyl, pyridylmethyl, and furylmethyl.

The alkyl, alkoxy, and alkylamino groups can be linear or branched. When an aryl group is substituted with a substituent, e.g., halo, amino, alkyl, hydroxyl, alkoxy, and others, the aromatic ring hydrogen is replaced with the substituent and this can take place in any of the available hydrogens, e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, and/or 6-position wherein the 1-position is the point of attachment of the aryl group in the compound of the present invention.

The term “halo” refers to fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine.

Examples of bicycloalkyls include norbornyl, s-endonorbornyl, carbamethylcylopentyl, and bicyclohexyl. An example of a tricycloalkyl is adamantyl.

The phrase “salt” or “pharmaceutically acceptable salt” is intended to include nontoxic salts synthesized from the parent compound which contains a basic or acidic moiety by conventional chemical methods. Generally, such salts can be prepared by reacting the free acid or base forms of these compounds with a stoichiometric amount of the appropriate base or acid in water or in an organic solvent, or in a mixture of the two. Generally, nonaqueous media such as ether, ethyl acetate, ethanol, isopropanol, or acetonitrile are preferred. Lists of suitable salts are found in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 18th ed., Mack Publishing Company, Easton, Pa., 1990, p. 1445, and Journal of Pharmaceutical Science, 66, 2-19 (1977). For example, they can be a salt of an alkali metal (e.g., sodium or potassium), alkaline earth metal (e.g., calcium), or ammonium of salt.

Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable salts for use in the present inventive pharmaceutical composition include those derived from mineral acids, such as hydrochloric, hydrobromic, phosphoric, metaphosphoric, nitric and sulphuric acids, and organic acids, such as tartaric, acetic, citric, malic, lactic, fumaric, benzoic, glycolic, gluconic, succinic, maleic and arylsulfonic, for example, benzenesulfonic and p-toluenesulfonic, acids.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, R¹ is selected from the group consisting of C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkyl and C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl, wherein the aryl portion of R¹ is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, amino, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₁-C₆ alkoxy, C₆-C₁₄ aryloxy, hydroxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkenyl, hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkynyl, aminocarbonyl C₁-C₆ alkoxy, and C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkoxy; and in a particular embodiment, R¹ is selected from the group consisting of benzyl, phenyl cyclopropyl, or 1-naphthyl methyl, wherein the phenyl or naphthyl portion of R¹ is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, amino, hydroxyl, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkyl aminocarbonyl, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₁-C₆ alkoxy, phenoxy, hydroxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkenyl, and hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkynyl.

In a specific embodiment of the invention, R¹ is benzyl, phenyl cyclopropyl, or 1-naphthyl methyl, wherein the phenyl or naphthyl portion of R¹ is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, and alkoxy. Examples of R¹ are benzyl and benzyl substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo and C₁-C₆ alkoxy.

In any of the embodiments above, R¹ is selected from the group consisting of 3-chlorobenzyl, 3-bromobenzyl, 3-iodobenzyl, 2-hydroxy-5-methoxy-benzyl, and 2,5-dimethoxybenzyl. In an embodiment, the phenyl cyclopropyl is trans-2-phenyl-1-cyclopropyl.

In any of the embodiments above, R² is halo, specifically chloro, bromo, or iodo, or R² is —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—CH₃, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)-aryl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C(═O)—O—CH₃, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)-—C(═O)—NH—(CH₂)_(n)—NH₂, wherein m and n are independently 1 to 10, where in certain embodiments m and n are 2 to 6, and in certain other embodiments m and n are 3 to 5, and wherein the CH₃ or aryl group is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, sulfur, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkyl aminocarbonyl, aminoalkyl aminocarbonyl, and trialkylsilyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

In any of the embodiments above, R³ and R⁴ are particularly hydroxyl.

In any of the embodiments above, R⁵ is particularly hydrogen.

The term “one or more substituents” in any of the embodiments of the invention refers to 1, 2, 3, 4, or more substituents.

Particular examples of compounds of the invention are those wherein R² is chloro, R¹ is 3-chlorobenzyl, 3-iodobenzyl, 3-bromobenzyl, 1-naphthylmethyl, 2,5-dimethoxy-benzyl, 2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzyl, or trans-2-phenyl-cyclopropyl, R³ and R⁴ are hydroxyl, and R⁵ is hydrogen.

Many of the compounds described above have antagonistic as well as partial agonistic properties at the A₃ adenosine receptor, depending upon the parameter studied. The definition of antagonist or agonist is highly dependent upon the cell system and the parameter studied, receptor density, species, and the like.

The compounds of the invention can be prepared by any suitable method. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a method of preparing compounds 7b-13b. FIG. 2 illustrates a method of preparing compounds 19a-19g. FIG. 3 illustrates a method of preparing compounds 20a-20g and 21a-21g.

The present invention further provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound as described above and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and an effective amount, e.g., a therapeutically effective amount, including a prophylactically effective amount, of one or more of the aforesaid compounds, or salts thereof, of the present invention.

The pharmaceutically acceptable carrier can be any of those conventionally used and is limited only by chemico-physical considerations, such as solubility and lack of reactivity with the compound, and by the route of administration. It will be appreciated by one of skill in the art that, in addition to the following described pharmaceutical compositions; the compounds of the present invention can be formulated as inclusion complexes, such as cyclodextrin inclusion complexes, or liposomes.

The pharmaceutically acceptable carriers described herein, for example, vehicles, adjuvants, excipients, or diluents, are well known to those who are skilled in the art and are readily available to the public. It is preferred that the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier be one which is chemically inert to the active compounds and one which has no detrimental side effects or toxicity under the conditions of use.

The choice of carrier will be determined in part by the particular active agent, as well as by the particular method used to administer the composition. Accordingly, there is a wide variety of suitable formulations of the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention. The following formulations for oral, aerosol, parenteral, subcutaneous, intravenous, intraarterial, intramuscular, interperitoneal, intrathecal, rectal, and vaginal administration are merely exemplary and are in no way limiting.

Formulations suitable for oral administration can consist of (a) liquid solutions, such as an effective amount of the compound dissolved in diluents, such as water, saline, or orange juice; (b) capsules, sachets, tablets, lozenges, and troches, each containing a predetermined amount of the active ingredient, as solids or granules; (c) powders; (d) suspensions in an appropriate liquid; and (e) suitable emulsions. Liquid formulations may include diluents, such as water and alcohols, for example, ethanol, benzyl alcohol, and the polyethylene alcohols, either with or without the addition of a pharmaceutically acceptable surfactant, suspending agent, or emulsifying agent. Capsule forms can be of the ordinary hard- or soft-shelled gelatin type containing, for example, surfactants, lubricants, and inert fillers, such as lactose, sucrose, calcium phosphate, and cornstarch. Tablet forms can include one or more of lactose, sucrose, mannitol, corn starch, potato starch, alginic acid, microcrystalline cellulose, acacia, gelatin, guar gum, colloidal silicon dioxide, croscarmellose sodium, talc, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, zinc stearate, stearic acid, and other excipients, colorants, diluents, buffering agents, disintegrating agents, moistening agents, preservatives, flavoring agents, and pharmacologically compatible carriers. Lozenge forms can comprise the active ingredient in a flavor, usually sucrose and acacia or tragacanth, as well as pastilles comprising the active ingredient in an inert base, such as gelatin and glycerin, or sucrose and acacia, emulsions, gels, and the like containing, in addition to the active ingredient, such carriers as are known in the art.

The compounds of the present invention, alone or in combination with other suitable components, can be made into aerosol formulations to be administered via inhalation. These aerosol formulations can be placed into pressurized acceptable propellants, such as dichlorodifluoromethane, propane, nitrogen, and the like. They also may be formulated as pharmaceuticals for non-pressured preparations, such as in a nebulizer or an atomizer.

Formulations suitable for parenteral administration include aqueous and non-aqueous, isotonic sterile injection solutions, which can contain anti-oxidants, buffers, bacteriostats, and solutes that render the formulation isotonic with the blood of the intended recipient, and aqueous and non-aqueous sterile suspensions that can include suspending agents, solubilizers, thickening agents, stabilizers, and preservatives. The compound can be administered in a physiologically acceptable diluent in a pharmaceutical carrier, such as a sterile liquid or mixture of liquids, including water, saline, aqueous dextrose and related sugar solutions, an alcohol, such as ethanol, isopropanol, or hexadecyl alcohol, glycols, such as propylene glycol or polyethylene glycol, glycerol ketals, such as 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol, ethers, such as poly(ethyleneglycol) 400, an oil, a fatty acid, a fatty acid ester or glyceride, or an acetylated fatty acid glyceride with or without the addition of a pharmaceutically acceptable surfactant, such as a soap or a detergent, suspending agent, such as pectin, carbomers, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, or carboxymethylcellulose, or emulsifying agents and other pharmaceutical adjuvants.

Oils, which can be used in parenteral formulations include petroleum, animal, vegetable, or synthetic oils. Specific examples of oils include peanut, soybean, sesame, cottonseed, corn, olive, petrolatum, and mineral. Suitable fatty acids for use in parenteral formulations include oleic acid, stearic acid, and isostearic acid. Ethyl oleate and isopropyl myristate are examples of suitable fatty acid esters. Suitable soaps for use in parenteral formulations include fatty alkali metal, ammonium, and triethanolamine salts, and suitable detergents include (a) cationic detergents such as, for example, dimethyl dialkyl ammonium halides, and alkyl pyridinium halides, (b) anionic detergents such as, for example, alkyl, aryl, and olefin sulfonates, alkyl, olefin, ether, and monoglyceride sulfates, and sulfosuccinates, (c) nonionic detergents such as, for example, fatty amine oxides, fatty acid alkanolamides, and polyoxyethylene-polypropylene copolymers, (d) amphoteric detergents such as, for example, alkyl-beta-aminopropionates, and 2-alkyl-imidazoline quaternary ammonium salts, and (3) mixtures thereof.

The parenteral formulations will typically contain from about 0.5 to about 25% by weight of the active ingredient in solution. Suitable preservatives and buffers can be used in such formulations. In order to minimize or eliminate irritation at the site of injection, such compositions may contain one or more nonionic surfactants having a hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) of from about 12 to about 17. The quantity of surfactant in such formulations ranges from about 5 to about 15% by weight. Suitable surfactants include polyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, such as sorbitan monooleate and the high molecular weight adducts of ethylene oxide with a hydrophobic base, formed by the condensation of propylene oxide with propylene glycol. The parenteral formulations can be presented in unit-dose or multi-dose sealed containers, such as ampoules and vials, and can be stored in a freeze-dried (lyophilized) condition requiring only the addition of the sterile liquid carrier, for example, water, for injections, immediately prior to use. Extemporaneous injection solutions and suspensions can be prepared from sterile powders, granules, and tablets of the kind previously described.

The compounds of the present invention may be made into injectable formulations. The requirements for effective pharmaceutical carriers for injectable compositions are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. See Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, J. B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, Pa., Banker and Chalmers, eds., pages 238-250 (1982), and ASHP Handbook on Injectable Drugs, Toissel, 4th ed., pages 622-630 (1986).

Additionally, the compounds of the present invention may be made into suppositories by mixing with a variety of bases, such as emulsifying bases or water-soluble bases. Formulations suitable for vaginal administration may be presented as pessaries, tampons, creams, gels, pastes, foams, or spray formulas containing, in addition to the active ingredient, such carriers as are known in the art to be appropriate.

The present invention also provides a method of treating a disease in an animal, e.g., a mammal, comprising administering to the animal an effective amount of a compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the invention, wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of cancer, glaucoma, inflammatory diseases, asthma, stroke, myocardial infarction, allergic reactions, rhinitis, poison ivy induced responses, urticaria, scleroderma, arthritis, brain arteriole diameter constriction, bronchoconstriction, and myocardial ischemia. The invention also provides a method for selectively inactivating an A₃ adenosine receptor, or partially activating an A₃ adenosine receptor, in as animal in need thereof, comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of a compound or pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the invention. The methods of the invention can be applied to any suitable mammal, particularly human.

The term “animal” refers to any member of the animal kingdom. In embodiments, “animal” refers to a human at any stage of development. In embodiments, “animal” includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and worms. In certain embodiments, the non-human animal is a mammal, e.g., a rodent, a mouse, a rat, a rabbit, a monkey, a dog, a cat, a sheep, cattle, a primate, or a pig. The animal may also be a transgenic animal, genetically engineered animal, or a clone.

The present invention further provides a method for inactivating A₃ adenosine receptors, or partially activating such a receptor, in a cell comprising contacting the cell with an effective amount of one or more of the inventive compounds or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The contacting can be in vitro or in vivo. When the contacting is done in vitro, the contacting can be done by any suitable method, many of which are known in the art. For example, the cell can be provided in a culture medium and the inventive compound introduced into the culture medium per se, or as a solution of the compound in an appropriate solvent.

The present invention further provides a method of cardioprotection for preventing or reducing ischemic damage to the heart in an animal in need thereof comprising administering to the animal a compound or salt as described above, particularly, a compound or salt of formula I, wherein R¹ is 3-bromobenzyl or 3-iodobenzyl, R² is halo, R³ and R⁴ are hydroxyl, and R⁵ is hydrogen.

The compounds or salts thereof can be used in any suitable dose. Suitable doses and dosage regimens can be determined by conventional range finding techniques. Generally treatment is initiated with smaller dosages, which are less than the optimum dose. Thereafter, the dosage is increased by small increments until optimum effect under the circumstances is reached. For convenience, the total daily dosage may be divided and administered in portions during the day if desired. In proper doses and with suitable administration of certain compounds, the present invention provides for a wide range of responses. Typically the dosages range from about 0.001 to about 1000 mg/kg body weight of the animal being treated/day. For example, in embodiments, the compounds or salts may be administered from about 100 mg/kg to about 300 mg/kg, from about 120 mg/kg to about 280 mg/kg, from about 140 mg/kg to about 260 mg/kg, from about 150 mg/kg to about 250 mg/kg, from about 160 mg/kg to about 240 mg/kg, of subject body weight per day, one or more times a day, to obtain the desired therapeutic effect.

In accordance with another embodiment, the invention provides isotopically labeled compounds described above, for example, compounds labeled with a radioactive or non-radioactive isotope, for use in the determination of drug/tissue distribution assays, in the manipulation of oxidative metabolism via the primary kinetic isotope effect, in identifying potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of diseases or conditions associated with target-receptor mediation. The compounds of the invention can be prepared with a radioactive isotope. Any suitable atom can be replaced with a radioactive isotope, for example, a carbon atom, hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a sulfur atom, nitrogen atom, or an oxygen atom can be replaced with a corresponding isotope. Thus, for example, a halogen atom can be replaced with ¹⁸F, ³⁶Cl, ⁷⁶Br, ⁷⁷Br, ⁸²Br, ¹²²I, ¹²³I, ¹²⁵I, or ¹³¹I. The use of radiolabeled compounds that may be detected using imaging techniques, such as the Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT), Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), or the Positron Emission Tomography (PET), are known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,395,742 and 6,472,667.

In accordance with a further embodiment, the invention provides a radiolabeled compound of Formula I:

wherein

R¹ is selected from the group consisting of C₆-C₁₄ aryl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ diaryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkoxy, C₆-C₁₄ aryl sulfonyl, heterocyclyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, 4-[[[4-[[[(2-amino C₁-C₆ alkyl)amino]-carbonyl]-C₁-C₆ alkyl]aniline]carbonyl]C₁-C₆ alkyl]C₆-C₁₄ aryl, and C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl, wherein the aryl or heterocyclyl portion of R¹ is substituted with one or more halogen atoms that are radioactive;

R² is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, amino, hydrazido, mercapto, C₁-C₂₀ alkylamino, C₆-C₁₄ aryl amino, C₆-C₁₄ aryloxy, C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₁-C₂₀ alkoxy, C₁-C₂₀ thioalkoxy, pyridylthio, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, carboxy alkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C(═O)—O—C₁-C₆ alkyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C(═O)—NH—(CH₂)_(n)—NH₂, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C₁-C₆ alkyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)-aryl, wherein m and n are independently 1 to 10, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, and the alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl portion of R² is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, sulfur, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkyl aminocarbonyl, aminoalkyl aminocarbonyl, and trialkylsilyl;

R³ and R⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, thiol, ureido, C₁-C₆ alkyl carbonylamino, hydroxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, and hydrazinyl; and

R⁵ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₂-C₆ alkenyl, C₂-C₆ alkynyl, heteroaryl, and C₁-C₆ aminoalkyl;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

The halogen atom of the radiolabeled compound or salt in R¹ of the invention can be any suitable isotope, for example, ¹⁸F, ⁷⁶Br, ¹²⁵I, preferably ⁷⁶Br or ¹²⁵I.

In a particular embodiment, the invention provides radiolabeled compounds or salts wherein R¹ is 3-bromobenzyl or 3-iodobenzyl, R² is halo, R³ and R⁴ are hydroxyl, and R⁵ is hydrogen.

Accordingly, the present invention further provides a method of diagnostic imaging of an A₃ adenosine receptor in a tissue or organ of an animal comprising administering an effective amount of a radiolabeled compound or salt as described above to the animal and obtaining an image of the organ or tissue of the animal. The image can be obtained by any suitable imaging technique, for example, SPECT, MRS, and/or PET.

The present invention also provides a diagnostic method for determining a treatment of a patient for a possible agonist or antagonist of the A₃ adenosine receptors, the treatment comprising:

(a) administering a radiolabeled compound or salt as described above;

(b) obtaining a biological sample from the patient;

(c) determining the level of expression of the A₃ adenosine receptor;

(d) comparing the level of expression of the receptor to that of a normal population; and

(e) if the patient's level of expression is higher than that of the normal population, determining a treatment regimen comprising administering an agonist or antagonist of the adenosine receptor whose expression was higher in the patient than that of the normal population.

The following examples further illustrate the invention but, of course, should not be construed as in any way limiting its scope.

Example 1

This example demonstrates a method of preparing compounds in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. D-ribose was protected with TBDPS-Cl followed by alkaline hydrolysis, thus providing acid 2. Reductive decarboxylation of acid 2 was carried out using non-toxic tris(trimethylsilyl)silane as a hydrogen donor and produced the silyl ether 3 in 40% yield. The silyl ether 3 was deprotected with TBAF. The resultant alcohol 4 was converted into a key dichloropurine derivative 6 through a Mitsonobu reaction (FIG. 1). Derivative 6 reacted with an excess of the corresponding primary amine to give the N⁶ substituted and 2′,3′-isopropylidene protected derivatives compounds 7a-13a, followed by acid catalyzed deprotection to give the N⁶-3-halobenzyl and related arylmethyl derivatives 7b-13b.

(1R, 2S, 3R, 4R, 5R)-3,4-O-(Isopropylidene)-2-O-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)-2,3,4-trihydroxybicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-1-carboxylic acid (2). tert-Butyldiphenylsilyl chloride (2.70 g, 10 mmol) and triethylamine (2.0 g, 20 mmol) were added to a solution of alcohol 1 (prepared from D-ribose following the standard procedure (Joshi et al. supra) 1.22 g, 5 mmol) and imidazole (140 mg, 2 mmol) in DMF (3 mL) while stirring at room temperature. The solution was stirred at 60° C. for 16 h. The reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and diluted with a 4:1 ethyl acetate-hexane mixture (50 mL), washed with water, dried, and solvent was evaporated. The residue was purified by flash chromatography (0 to 10% ethyl-acetate-hexane) to give ethyl (1R, 2S, 3R, 4R, 5R)-2,3-O-(isopropylidene)-4-O-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)-2,3,4-trihydroxybicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-1-carboxylate. The compound was dissolved in MeOH (5 mL), 2N aq. NaOH (5 mL) was added, and the reaction mixture was refluxed for 2 h. The reaction mixture was neutralized with NaH₂PO₄, and extracted with DCM. The combined DCM solutions were dried and evaporated, and the residue was purified by flash chromatography to give title compound 2 (1.65 g, 73%). ¹H NMR (CDCl₃), δ: 7.72 (d, 4H, J=7.8 Hz), 7.39 (m, 6H), 5.05 (d, 1H, J=6.3 Hz), 4.43 (t, 1H, J=6.0 Hz), 4.08 (t, 1H, J=6.6 Hz), 2.26 (m, 1H), 1.97 (s, 3H), 1.56 (s, 3H), 1.52 (m, 1H), 1.21 (s, 3H), 1.08 (s, 9H).

(1S, 2S, 3R, 4R, 5R)-3,4-O-(Isopropylidene)-2-O-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)-2,3,4-trihydroxybicyclo[3.1.0]hexane (3). A 1M solution of DCC in oxygen-free toluene (0.96 mL) was added to a solution of acid 2 (363 mg, 0.80 mmol), 2-mercaptopyridine N-oxide (112 mg, 0.88 mmol), and AIBN (40 mg, 0.24 mmol) in dry oxygen-free toluene (4 mL). The reaction mixture was stirred for 4 h at 25° C., tris(trimethylsilyl)silane (0.50 mL, 1.6 mmol) was added, and the reaction mixture was heated at 85° C. for 4 h. The reaction mixture was evaporated, and the residue was separated by flash chromatography (0 to 10% ethyl acetate-hexane mixture) to afford the title compound 3 (121 mg, 40%). ¹H NMR (CDCl₃), δ: 7.76 (d, 4H, J=7.8 Hz), 7.39 (m, 6H), 4.66 (t, 1H, J=6.0 Hz), 4.44 (t, 1H, J=6.6 Hz), 4.03 (t, 1H, J=6.6 Hz), 1.6 (m, 1H), 1.57 (s, 3H), 1.45 (m, 1H), 1.33 (s, 1H), 1.20 (s, 3H), 1.09 (s, 9H), 0.58 (m, 1H).

(1R, 2R, 3S, 4S, 5S)-2,3-O-(Isopropylidene)-2,3,4-trihydroxy-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane (4), Method B. A 1M solution of tert-butylammonium fluoride in THF (1 mL) was added to a solution of silylether 3 (102 mg, 0.25 mmol) in THF (1 mL). The reaction mixture was left at 20° C. for 16 h and evaporated. The residue was diluted with ethyl acetate (20 mL) and washed with a small amount of brine. The ethyl acetate solution was dried and evaporated, and the residue was purified by flash chromatography to afford the title compound 4 (33 mg, 84%). ¹H NMR and MS are provided under Method A.

General procedure for preparation of compounds 7b-13b. An amine (RNH₂ in Scheme 3, 0.5 mmol) was added to a solution of 6 (20 mg, 0.06 mmol) in DCM (0.1 mL). The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 16 h. The solvent was removed under vacuum, and the residue was separated by flash chromatography (30 to 100% ethyl acetate-hexane) to afford the corresponding 6-alkylaminopurine derivative that was dissolved in a mixture of MeOH (4 mL), TFA (0.2 mL) and water (2 mL). The reaction mixture was stirred at 70° C. for 16 h, and then evaporated. The residue was evaporated twice with water, and the residue was purified by flash chromatography (50 to 100% ethyl acetate).

(1′R, 2′R, 3′S, 4′R, 5′S)-4′-[2-Chloro-6-(3-iodobenzylamino)purine]-2′,3′-dihydroxybicyclo-[3.1.0]hexane (7b). Yield 15 mg (51% ¹H NMR (CD₃OD), δ: 8.16 (s, 1H), 7.49 (s, 1H), 7.60 (d, 1H, 8.5 Hz), 7.40 (d, 1H, 8.5 Hz), 7.10 (t, 1H, 8.5 Hz), 4.71 (s, 2H), 3.90 (d, 3.3 Hz, 1H), 3.65 (s, 1H), 2.05-1.95 (m, 1H), 1.67-1.63 (m, 1H), 1.36 (s, 1H), 1.31-1.27 (m, 1H), 0.95-0.87 (m, 1H), 0.77-0.75 (m, 1H). HRMS calculated for C₁₈H₁₈ClIN₅O₂ ⁺(M+H)⁺: 498.0194. found, 498.0194. HPLC: RT 21.6 min (98%) in solvent system A, 17.0 min (98%) in system B.

(1′R, 2′R, 3′S, 4′R, 5′S)-4′-[2-Chloro-6-(3-chlorobenzylamino)purine]-2′,3′-O-dihydroxybicyclo-[3.1.0]hexane (8b). Yield 58%. ¹H NMR (CD₃OD), δ: 8.16 (br.s., 1H), 7.41 (s, 1H), 7.29 (m, 3H), 4.79 (s, 1H), 4.75 (br. s, 2H), 4.70 (br. t., 1H, J=5.4 Hz), 3.86 (d, 1H, J=6.6 Hz), 1.97 (m, 1H), 1.65 (m, 1H), 1.30 (m, 1H), 0.75 (m, 1H). HRMS (ESI MS m/z): calculated for C₁₈H₁₈Cl₂N₅O₂ ⁺(M+H)⁺, 406.0832. found, 406.0825. HPLC RT 20.3 min (98%) in solvent system A, 15.6 min (98%) in system B.

(1′R, 2′R, 3′S, 4′R, S′S)-4′-[2-Chloro-6-(3-bromobenzylamino)purine]-2′,3′-O-dihydroxybicyclo-[3.1.0]hexane (9b) Yield 65%. ¹H NMR (CD₃OD): 8.03 (s, 1H), 7.45 (s, 1H), 7.29 (m, 2H), 7.12 (t, 1H, J=7.8 Hz), 4.68 (s, 1H), 4.63 (br. s, 2H), 4.59 (br. t., 1H, J=5.4 Hz), 3.79 (d, 1H, J=6.6 Hz), 1.86 (m, 1H), 1.55 (m, 1H), 1.20 (m, 1H), 0.64 (m, 1H). HRMS (ESI MS m/z) calculated for C₁₈H₁₈BrClN₅O₂ ⁺ (M+H)⁺, 450.0327. found 450.0315. HPLC RT 20.74 min (98%) in solvent system A, 16.1 min (99%) in system B.

(1′R, 2′R, 3′S, 4′R, 5′S)-4′-[2-Chloro-6-(1-naphthylamino)purine]-2′,3′-O-dihydroxybicyclo[3.1.0]hexane (10b) Yield 48%. ¹H NMR (CD₃OD): 8.13 (br.d., 2H, J=7.8 Hz), 7.84 (m, 2H), 7.49 (m, 4H), 5.21 (s, 1H), 4.79 (br. s, 1H), 4.78 (br. s, 2H), 4.67 (br. t., 1H, J=5.1 Hz), 3.88 (d, 1H, J=6.6 Hz), 1.93 (m, 1H), 1.62 (m, 1H), 1.25 (m, 1H), 0.73 (m, 1H). HRMS (ESI MS m/z) calculated for C₂₂H₂₁ClN₅O₂ ⁺ (M+H)⁺, 422.1378. found 422.1385. HPLC RT 21.5 min (97%) in solvent system A, 17.0 min (98%) in system B.

(1′R, 2′R, 3′S, 4′R, 5′S)-4′-[2-Chloro-6-(2,5-dimethoxybenzylamino)purine]-2′,3′-O-dihydroxybicyclo-[3.1.0]hexane (11b) Yield 44%. ¹H NMR (CD₃OD): 8.4 (very br. s, 1H), 6.95 (s, 1H, J=2.7 Hz), 6.89 (d, 1H, J=9.3 Hz), 6.78 (dd, 1H, J=2.7, 9.0 Hz), 4.80 (s, 1H), 4.75 (br. m, 3H), 3.87 (d, 1H, J=6.3 Hz), 3.83 (s, 3H), 3.71 (s, 3H), 1.95 (m, 1H), 1.64 (m, 1H), 1.29 (m, 1H), 0.74 (m, 1H). HRMS (ESI MS m/z) calculated for C₂₀H₂₃ClN₅O₄ ⁺ (M+H)⁺, 432.1433. found 432.1439. HPLC RT 18.7 min (98%) in solvent system A, 16.6 min (98%) in system B.

(1′R, 2′R, 3′S, 4′R, 5′S)-4′-[2-Chloro-6-(2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzylamino)purine]-2′,3′-O-dihydroxybicyclo-[3.1.0]hexane (12b) Yield 39%. ¹H NMR (CD₃OD): 8.07 (s, 1H), 6.60-6.82 (m, 3H), 4.69 (s, 1H), 4.59 (br. t., 1H, J=6.0 Hz), 4.56 (br. s, 2H), 3.79 (d, 1H, J=6.6 Hz), 3.61 (s, 3H) 1.86 (m, 1H), 1.55 (m, 1H), 1.20 (m, 1H), 0.65 (m, 1H). HRMS (ESI MS m/z) calculated for C₁₉H₂₁ClN₅O₄ ⁺ (M+H)⁺, 418.1277. found, 418.1277. HPLC RT 16.0 min (100%) in solvent system A, 11.0 min (98%) in system B.

(1′R, 2′R, 3′S, 4′R, 5′S)-4′-[2-Chloro-6-(trans-2-phenylcyclopropylamino)purine]-2′,3′-O-dihydroxybicyclo-[3.1.0]hexane (13b) Yield 52%. ¹H NMR (CD₃OD): 8.16 (very br.s., 1H), 7.0-7.48 (m, 5H), 4.79 (s, 1H), 4.68 (br. s, 2H), 3.88 (d, 1H, J=5.7 Hz), 2.17 (m, 1H) 1.97 (m, 1H), 1.65 (m, 1H), 1.29 (m, 2H), 0.74 (m, 1H). HRMS (ESI MS m/z) calculated for C₂₀H₂₁ClN₅O₂ ⁺ (M+H)⁺, 398.1378. found, 398.1372. HPLC RT 20.3 min (99%) in solvent system A, 15.6 min (98%) in system B.

Example 2

This Example illustrates the ability of the compounds in accordance with an embodiment of the invention to bind to A₃ adenosine receptors. The binding affinity values are set forth in Table 1.

Receptor Binding and Functional Assays

[¹²⁵I]N⁶-(4-Amino-3-iodobenzyl)adenosine-5′-N-methyluronamide (I-AB-MECA; 2000 Ci/mmol), [³H]cyclic AMP (40 Ci/mmol), and other radioligands were purchased from Perkin-Elmer Life and Analytical Science (Boston, Mass.). [³H]CCPA (2-chloro-N⁶-cyclopentyladenosine) was a custom synthesis product (Perkin Elmer). Test compounds were prepared as 5 mM stock solutions in DMSO and stored frozen.

Cell culture and membrane preparation: CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cells expressing the recombinant human A₃AR were cultured in DMEM (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 100 units/mL penicillin, 100 μg/mL streptomycin, 2 μmol/mL glutamine and 800 μg/mL geneticin. The CHO cells expressing rat A₃ARs were cultured in DMEM and F12 (1:1). Cells were harvested by trypsinization. After homogenization and suspension, cell membranes were centrifuged at 500 g for 10 min, and the pellet was re-suspended in 50 mM Tris·HCl buffer (pH 8.0) containing 10 mM MgCl₂, 1 mM EDTA and 0.1 mg/mL CHAPS (3[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-propanesulfonic acid). The suspension was homogenized with an electric homogenizer for 10 sec, and was then re-centrifuged at 20,000 g for 20 min at 4° C. The resultant pellets were resuspended in buffer in the presence of adenosine deaminase (3 Units/mL), and the suspension was stored at −80° C. until the binding experiments. The protein concentration was measured using the Bradford assay. Bradford, M. M. Anal. Biochem. 1976, 72, 248.

Binding assays at the A₁ and A_(2A) receptors: For binding to human A₁ receptors, see (a) Schwabe, U.; Trost, T. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 1980, 313, 179. (b) Perreira, M.; Jiang, J. K.; Klutz, A. M.; Gao, Z. G.; Shainberg, A.; Lu, C.; Thomas, C. J.; Jacobson, K A. J. Med. Chem. 2005, 48, 4910.

[³H]R-PIA (N⁶-[(R)-phenylisopropyl]adenosine, 2 nM) or [³H]CCPA (0.5 nM) was incubated with membranes (40 μg/tube) from CHO cells stably expressing human A₁ receptors at 25° C. for 60 min in 50 mM Tris·HCl buffer (pH 7.4; MgCl₂, 10 mM) and increasing concentrations of the test ligand in a total assay volume of 200 μl. Nonspecific binding was determined using 10 μM of CPA (N⁶-cyclopentyladenosine). For human A_(2A) receptor binding (Jarvis, M. F.; Schutz, R.; Hutchison, A. J.; Do, E.; Sills, M. A.; Williams, M. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 1989, 251, 888-893) membranes (20 μg/tube) from HEK-293 cells stably expressing human A_(2A) receptors were incubated with [³H]CGS21680 (2-[p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenyl-ethylamino]-5′-N-ethylcarboxamido-adenosine, 15 nM) and increasing concentrations of the test ligand at 25° C. for 60 min in 200 μL 50 mM Tris·HCl, pH 7.4, containing 10 mM MgCl₂. NECA (10 μM) was used to define nonspecific binding. The reaction was terminated by filtration with GF/B filters.

Binding assay at the human A₃ receptor: For the competitive binding assay, each tube contained 50 μL membrane suspension (20 μg protein), 25 μL of [¹²⁵I]I-AB-MECA (1.0 nM), Olah, M. E., Gallo-Rodriguez, C., Jacobson, K. A., Stiles, G. L. Mol. Pharmacol. 1994, 45, 978, and 25 μL of increasing concentrations of the test ligands in Tris·HCl buffer (50 mM, pH 8.0) containing 10 mM MgCl₂, 1 mM EDTA. Nonspecific binding was determined using 10 μM of C1-IB-MECA in the buffer. The mixtures were incubated at 37° C. for 60 min. Binding reactions were terminated by filtration through Whatman GF/B filters under reduced pressure using a MT-24 cell harvester (Brandell, Gaithersburgh, Md., USA). Filters were washed three times with 9 mL ice-cold buffer. Radioactivity was determined in a Beckman 5500B γ-counter. IC₅₀ values were converted to K_(i) values as described in Cheng, Y.; Prusoff, W. H. Biochem. Pharmacol. 1973, 22, 3099.

Cyclic AMP accumulation assay: Intracellular cyclic AMP levels were measured with a competitive protein binding method. Nordstedt, C.; Fredholm, B. B. Anal. Biochem. 1990, 189, 231; Post, S. R.; Ostrom, R. S.; Insel, P. A. Methods Mol. Biol. 2000, 126, 363. CHO cells that expressed the recombinant human or rat A₃AR or the human A₁ or A_(2B)AR were harvested by trypsinization. After centrifugation and resuspended in medium, cells were planted in 24-well plates in 1.0 mL medium. After 24 h, the medium was removed and cells were washed three times with 1 mL DMEM, containing 50 mM HEPES, pH 7.4. Cells were then treated with the agonist NECA and/or test compound (e.g. 7b) in the presence of rolipram (10 μM) and adenosine deaminase (3 units/mL). After 45 min forskolin (10 μM) was added to the medium, and incubation was continued for an additional 15 mM. The reaction was terminated by removing the supernatant, and cells were lysed upon the addition of 200 μL of 0.1 M ice-cold HCl. The cell lysate was resuspended and stored at −20° C. For determination of cyclic AMP production, protein kinase A (PKA) was incubated with [³H]cyclic AMP (2 nM) in K₂HPO₄/EDTA buffer (K₂HPO₄, 150 mM; EDTA, 10 mM), 20 μL of the cell lysate, and 30 μL 0.1 M HCl or 50 μL of cyclic AMP solution (0-16 pmol/200 μL for standard curve). Bound radioactivity was separated by rapid filtration through Whatman GF/C filters and washed once with cold buffer. Bound radioactivity was measured by liquid scintillation spectrometry.

[³⁵S]GTPγS binding assay: [³⁵S]GTPγS binding was measured by a variation of the method described. (a) Lorenzen, A.; Lang H.; Schwabe U. Biochem. Pharmacol. 1998, 56, 1287. (b) Jacobson, K. A.; Ji, X.-d.; Li, A. H.; Melman, N.; Siddiqui, M. A.; Shin, K. J.; Marquez, V. E.; Ravi, R. G. J. Med. Chem. 2000, 43, 2196. Each assay tube consisted of 200 μL buffer containing 50 mM Tris HCl (pH 7.4), 1 mM EDTA, 1 mM MgCl₂, 1 μM GDP, 1 mM dithiothreitol, 100 mM NaCl, 3 U/ml ADA, 0.2 nM [³⁵S]GTPγS, 0.004% 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]propanesulfonate (CHAPS), and 0.5% bovine serum albumin. Incubations were started upon addition of the membrane suspension (CHO cells stably expressing either the native human A₁AR or A₃AR, 5 μg protein/tube) to the test tubes, and they were carried out in duplicate for 30 mM at 25° C. The reaction was stopped by rapid filtration through Whatman GF/B filters, pre-soaked in 50 mM Tris HCl, 5 mM MgCl₂ (pH 7.4) containing 0.02% CHAPS. The filters were washed twice with 3 mL of the same buffer, and retained radioactivity was measured using liquid scintillation counting. Non-specific binding of [³⁵S]GTPγS was measured in the presence of 10 μM unlabelled GTPγS, None of the compounds >10% stimulation; thus, they are antagonists of the A₃ adenosine receptor

TABLE 1 Affinity data for compounds in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In Formula I, R² = Cl, R³ % and R⁴ = OH and R⁵ = H Affinity (K_(i), nM) or % inhibition^(a) Efficacy^(b) Compound R¹ A₁ A_(2A) A₃ A₃  7b 3-I-Phenyl-CH₂ 3040 ± 610  1080 ± 310 1.44 ± 0.60 1.0 ± 3.2  8b 3-Cl-Phenyl-CH₂ 3070 ± 1500 4510 ± 910 1.06 ± 0.36 2.9 ± 3.7  9b 3-Br-Phenyl-CH₂ 1760 ± 1010 1600 ± 480 0.73 ± 0.30 5.8 ± 0.8 10b 1-Naphthyl-CH₂ 1120 ± 640  1530 ± 350 1.42 ± 0.12 3.1 ± 0.3 11b 2,5-diMeO—Ph—CH₂ 3000 ± 1260 2620 ± 730 1.58 ± 0.56 4.6 ± 3.8 12b 2-OH-5-MeO—Ph—CH₂ 1110 ± 300   6870 ± 1440 4.06 ± 0.35 0.4 ± 1.3 13b trans-2-Ph- 1790 ± 1430 2010 ± 890 1.30 ± 0.39 9.7 ± 4.1 cyclopropyl ^(a)All experiments were done on CHO or HEK (A_(2A) only) cells stably expressing one of four subtypes of human ARs. The binding affinity for A₁, A_(2A) and A₃ARs was expressed as K_(i) values (n = 3-5) and was determined by using agonist radioligands ([³H]CCPA or ([³H] R-PIA), ([³H]CGS21680), [¹²⁵I]I-AB-MECA, respectively. The potency at the A_(2B)AR was expressed as EC₅₀ values and was determined by stimulation of cyclic AMP production in AR-transfected CHO cells. A percent in parentheses refers to inhibition of radioligand binding at 10 μM. ^(b)measured by [³⁵S]GTPγS binding assay.

In accordance with one method of biological assay, compounds 7b-9b (3-halobenzyl) in the (N)-methanocarba series were potent A₃ AR antagonists with binding K_(i) values of 0.7-1.4 nM. Compound 9b (3-bromobenzyl analogue) proved to be the most potent A₃AR antagonist of this series in binding with a K_(i) value of 0.73 nM, and it displayed high selectivity (2400-fold and 2190-fold in comparison to the A₁ and A_(2A)AR, respectively). The most A₃AR selective compound was the 3-chloro analogue 8b with 2900-fold and 4250-fold selectivity in comparison to the A₁ and A_(2A)AR, respectively. The SAR of substitution of the N⁶-benzyl group further showed that dimethoxy substitution (11b), fusion of the phenyl ring to a second ring (10b), and extension by one carbon (i.e., in the rotationally constrained 2-phenylcyclopropyl analogue, 13b) were all tolerated with nanomolar binding affinity at the A₃AR. Compound 12b, a demethylated analogue of 11b, was slightly less potent in binding to the A₃AR.

In a functional assay of [³⁵S]GTPγS binding induced by A₃AR activation, 7b completely inhibited stimulation by 1 μM NECA (5′-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine) with an IC₅₀ of 29.8 nM (FIG. 1). Schild analysis of the right shifts by 7b of the response curves in the inhibition of adenylate cyclase by NECA provided a K_(B) value of 8.9 nM.

When compared in the ability to stimulate the A₃AR using multiple functional criteria, different results were obtained. In the cAMP assays, compounds 7b and 9b exhibited partial agonism at A₃AR with percent relative efficacies of 44±6 and 46±4, respectively, and the EC₅₀ values were respectively, 12±1 and 4.21±0.6 nM.

Example 3

This example illustrates a method of preparing a radioiodinated compound in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Compound 7b having ¹²⁵I was prepared as follows. The (radio)iodination of compound 7b on its N⁶-3-iodobenzyl substituent was accomplished in high yield by iododestannylation of a 3-(trimethylstannyl)benzyl precursor through a “cold” iodination reaction as shown in FIG. 6.

Materials and instrumentation. Hexamethyltin and other reagents, including pharmacological agents, were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Company, except where noted. Sodium [¹²⁵I]iodide (17.4 Ci/mg) in NaOH (1.0×10⁻⁵ M) was supplied by Perkin-Elmer Life and Analytical Science. ¹H NMR spectra were obtained with a Varian Gemini 300 spectrometer using CDCl₃ and CD₃OD as solvents. Chemical shifts are expressed in δ values (ppm) with tetramethylsilane (δ 0.00) for CDCl₃ and water (δ 3.30) for CD₃OD. TLC analysis was carried out on aluminum sheets precoated with silica gel F₂₅₄ (0.2 mm) from Aldrich. HPLC mobile phases consisted of CH₃CN/tetrabutyl ammonium phosphate (5 mM) from 20/80 to 60/40 in 20 min, flow rate 1.0 ml/min. High-resolution mass measurements were performed on Micromass/Waters LCT Premier Electrospray Time of Flight (TOF) mass spectrometer coupled with a Waters HPLC system.

Preparation of 23: (1′R, 2′R, 3′S, 4′R, 5′S)-4′-[2-Chloro-6-(3-trimethylstannylbenzylamino)purine]-2′,3′-O-dihydroxybicyclo-[3.1.0]hexane (1). 7b (8.95 mg, 0.018 mmol), PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂ (2.7 mg), and hexamethyltin (11 μL, 0.054 mmol) were mixed together in anhydrous dioxane (2 ml), and the resulting reaction mixture was stirred at 70° C. for 2 h. The mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure. The product was purified by flash chromatography by using CHCl₃: MeOH (10:1) as the eluant to afford the stannyl derivative 23 (9.3 mg, 90%) as an oil. ¹H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl₃), 7.81 (s, 1H), 7.53 (s, 11-1), 7.34 (m, 2H), 7.33 (m, 1H), 6.49 (br s, 1H), 4.88 (br s, 2H), 4.00 (m, 2H), 3.71 (s, 1H), 3.65 (m, 1H), 3.47 (m, 1H), 2.02 (m, 1H), 1.96 (s, 1H), 1.64 (m, 1H), 1.28 (m, 2H), 0.81 (m, 1H), 0.29 (s, 9H). HRMS (M+1)⁺: calculated for C₂₁H₂₇ClIN₅O₂Sn⁺ (M+H)⁺535.6338. found 536.0823 HPLC: Rt=22.1 min. HPLC system: 5 mM TBAP/CH₃CN from 80/20 to 60/40 in 25 min, then isocratic for 2 min; flow rate of 1 ml/min.

The trimethylstannyl intermediate 23 (0.1 mg) was reacted sodium [¹²⁵I] iodide in NaOH (1.0×10⁻⁵ M) to obtain [¹²⁵I] 7b, following the procedure disclosed in Vaidyanathan G., et al., Nat. Protocols 1: 707-713 (2006).

FIG. 7A depicts the non-specific, specific, and total binding of [¹²⁵I] 7b on mouse A₃ adenosine receptor. FIG. 7B depicts the extent of specific binding as a function of the concentration of the compound. The compound was an agonist of the mouse A₃ adenosine receptor.

Example 4

This example illustrates a method of preparing a radiolabeled ligand, that is ⁷⁶Br-labeled compound 9b in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Bromine-76 was prepared from an arsenic metal target using the ⁷⁵As (³He, 2n) yielding ⁷⁶Br nuclear reaction. The ⁷⁶Br was processed after allowing for the decay of the simultaneously produced Br-75 (t_(1/2)=1.6 h).

An aliquot of the aqueous solution of Br-76 (about 10-20 μl, 18.5-37.0 MBq) is added to a 1-mL reaction vial and the solvent evaporated with argon flow. Trimethylstannyl intermediate 23 in acetonitrile is added to the vial containing the Br-76 radioactivity and followed by adding 37% peracetic acid in acetonitrile. The vial is sealed and placed on an 80° C. heating block and heated for 30 min. At the end of the reaction, the reaction mixture is loaded onto a Phenomenex Luna C18 (2) column (250×4.6 mm) and eluted with 100 mM ammonium acetate/acetonitrile (60/40) at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. The radioactivity peak containing the desired product (t_(R)=10 min) is collected and analyzed on a separate HPLC system for determination of purity and specific activity.

In vivo biodistribution of compound Br-76 labeled compound 9b was carried out in rats. All studies in live animals were conducted under protocol approved by the NM Animal Care and Use Committee. The biodistribution was evaluated after intravenous administration to adult Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were sacrificed at 15, 30, 60, and 120 min and various tissues were harvested for gamma counting. The data are reported in units of percentage of injected dose per gram in FIG. 8. The compound exhibited antagonistic properties to the A₃ adenosine receptor albeit at a low magnitude of uptake. The low uptake may be due to the lower age of the animals. The uptake in the A₃AR-containing testes continued to increase with time after injection (0.09% ID/g at 15 min to 0.18% ID/g at 2 h). Blood continued to provide an input function over 2h. In spite of a potential testes-blood barrier, uptake of the antagonist increased with time, which indicates that the compound may be a viable molecular imaging probe for pathological conditions with elevated A₃AR.

All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. 

1. A compound of Formula I:

wherein R¹ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₁-C₆ alkoxy, hydroxyl, C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl, C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₃-C₈ dicycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₇-C₁₄ tricycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ diaryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkoxy, C₁-C₆ alkyl carbonyl, sulfonyl, C₁-C₆ alkyl sulfonyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl sulfonyl, heterocyclyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, 4-[[[4-[[[(2-amino C₁-C₆ alkyl)amino]-carbonyl]-C₁-C₆ alkyl]anilino]carbonyl]C₁-C₆ alkyl]C₆-C₁₄ aryl, and C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl, wherein the aryl or heterocyclyl portion of R¹ is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, amino, hydroxyl, carboxy, C₁-C₆ alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, C₁-C₆ alkylaminocarbonyl, C₁-C₆ dialkyl aminocarbonyl, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₂-C₆ alkenyl, C₂-C₆ alkynyl, C₁-C₆ alkoxy, C₆-C₁₄ aryloxy, hydroxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkenyl, hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkynyl, carboxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, carboxy C₂-C₆ alkenyl, carboxy C₂-C₆ alkynyl, aminocarbonyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, aminocarbonyl C₂-C₆ alkenyl, aminocarbonyl C₂-C₆ alkynyl, and C≡C—(CH₂)_(n)—COR⁷ wherein R⁷ is selected from the group consisting of OH, OR⁸, and NR⁹R¹⁰, wherein R⁸ is selected from the group consisting of C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl, C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₃-C₈ dicycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₇-C₁₄ tricycloalkyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ and diaryl C₁-C₆ alkyl; and R⁹ and R¹⁰ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C₁-C₆ alkyl, and (CH₂)_(n)R¹¹ wherein R¹¹ is NR¹²R¹³, wherein R¹² and R¹³ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C₁-C₆ alkyl, and COR¹⁴ wherein R¹⁴ is hydrogen or C₁-C₆ alkyl; wherein n is an integer from 1 to 10; and the alkyl or cycloalkyl portion of R¹ is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, amino, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₁-C₆ alkoxy, C₆-C₁₄ aryloxy, C₁-C₆ hydroxyalkyl, C₂-C₆ hydroxyalkenyl, C₂-C₆ hydroxy alkynyl, aminocarbonyl C₁-C₆ alkoxy, and C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkoxy; R² is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, amino, hydrazido, mercapto, C₁-C₂₀ alkylamino, C₆-C₁₄ aryl amino, C₆-C₁₄ aryloxy, C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₁-C₂₀ alkoxy, C₁-C₂₀ thioalkoxy, pyridylthio, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, carboxy alkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C(═O)—O—C₁-C₆ alkyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)-(═O)—NH—(CH₂)_(n)—NH₂, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C₁-C₆ alkyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)-aryl, wherein m and n are independently 1 to 10, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, and the alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl portion of R² is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, sulfur, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkyl aminocarbonyl, dialkyl aminocarbonyl, aminoalkyl aminocarbonyl, and trialkylsilyl; R³ and R⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, thiol, ureido, C₁-C₆ alkyl carbonylamino, hydroxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, and hydrazinyl; and R⁵ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₂-C₆ alkenyl, C₂-C₆ alkynyl, heteroaryl, and C₁-C₆ aminoalkyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 2. The compound of claim 1, wherein R¹ is selected from the group consisting of C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, heteroaryl, and C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl, wherein the aryl portion of R¹ is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, amino, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₁-C₆ alkoxy, C₆-C₁₄ aryloxy, hydroxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkenyl, hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkynyl, aminocarbonyl C₁-C₆ alkoxy, and C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkoxy, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 3. The compound of claim 1, wherein R¹ is selected from the group consisting of benzyl, phenyl cyclopropyl, or 1-naphthyl methyl, wherein the phenyl or naphthyl portion of R¹ is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, amino, hydroxyl, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkyl aminocarbonyl, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₁-C₆ alkoxy, phenoxy, hydroxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkenyl, and hydroxy C₂-C₆ alkynyl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 4. The compound of claim 3, wherein R¹ is benzyl, phenyl cyclopropyl, or 1-naphthyl methyl, wherein the phenyl or naphthyl portion of R¹ is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, and alkoxy, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 5. The compound of claim 4, wherein R¹ is benzyl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 6. The compound of claim 4, wherein R¹ is benzyl substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo and C₁-C₆ alkoxy, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 7. The compound of claim 6, wherein the halo is chloro, bromo, or iodo, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 8. The compound of claim 1, wherein R¹ is selected from the group consisting of 3-chlorobenzyl, 3-bromobenzyl, 3-iodobenzyl, 2-hydroxy-5-methoxy-benzyl, and 2,5-dimethoxybenzyl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 9. The compound of claim 4, wherein the phenyl cyclopropyl is trans-2-phenyl-1-cyclopropyl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 10. The compound of claim 1, wherein R² is halo, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 11. The compound of claim 10, wherein R² is chloro, bromo, or iodo, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 12. The compound of claim 1, wherein R² is —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—CH₃, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C(═))—O—CH₃, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C(═O)—NH—(CH₂)_(n)—NH₂, wherein m and n are independently 1 to 10, wherein the CH₃ or aryl is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, amino, alkylamino, di alkylamino, sulfur, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkyl aminocarbonyl, aminoalkyl aminocarbonyl, and trialkylsilyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 13. The compound of claim 1, wherein R³ and R⁴ are hydroxyl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 14. The compound of claim 1, wherein R⁵ is hydrogen, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 15. The compound of claim 1, wherein R² is chloro, R¹ is 3-chlorobenzyl, 3-iodobenzyl, 3-bromobenzyl, 1-naphthylmethyl, 2,5-dimethoxybenzyl, 2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzyl, or trans-2-phenyl-cyclopropyl, R³ and R⁴ are hydroxyl, and R⁵ is hydrogen, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 16. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
 17. A method of treating a disease or condition in a mammal comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of a compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the disease or condition is selected from the group consisting of cancer, glaucoma, inflammatory diseases, asthma, stroke, myocardial infarction, allergic reactions, rhinitis, poison ivy induced responses, urticaria, scleroderma, arthritis, brain arteriole diameter constriction, bronchoconstriction, and myocardial ischemia.
 18. A method for partially activating or selectively inactivating an A₃ adenosine receptor in a mammal in need thereof comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of a compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the A₃ adenosine receptor is partially activated in the mammal by administering an effective amount of a compound of formula (I), wherein R¹ is 3-bromobenzyl or 3-iodobenzyl, R² is halo, R³ and R⁴ are hydroxyl, and R⁵ is hydrogen.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein R² is chloro.
 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the mammal is a human.
 22. A method of cardioprotecting for preventing or reducing ischemic damage to the heart in an animal in need thereof comprising administering to the animal a compound or salt of claim 1, wherein R¹ is 3-bromobenzyl or 3-iodobenzyl, R² is halo, R³ and R⁴ are hydroxyl, and R⁵ is hydrogen.
 23. A radiolabeled compound of Formula I:

wherein R¹ is selected from the group consisting of C₆-C₁₄ aryl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ diaryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₆ alkoxy, C₆-C₁₄ aryl sulfonyl, heterocyclyl C₁-C₆ alkyl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl C₁-C₆ alkyl, 4-[[[4-[[[(2-amino C₁-C₆ alkyl)amino]-carbonyl]-C₁-C₆ alkyl]anilino]carbonyl]C₁-C₆ alkyl]C₆-C₁₄ aryl, and C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₃-C₈ cycloalkyl, wherein the aryl or heterocyclyl portion of R¹ is substituted with one or more halogen atoms that are radioactive; R² is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, amino, hydrazido, mercapto, C₁-C₂₀ alkylamino, C₆-C₁₄ aryl amino, C₆-C₁₄ aryloxy, C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₁-C₂₀ alkoxy, C₁-C₂₀ thioalkoxy, pyridylthio, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₂-C₂₀ alkenyl, C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, carboxy alkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, —C—≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C(═O)—O—C₁-C₆ alkyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C(═O)—NH—(CH₂)_(n)—NH₂, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)—C₁-C₆ alkyl, —C≡C—(CH₂)_(m)-aryl, wherein m and n are independently 1 to 10, C₇-C₁₂ cycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₇-C₁₂ bicycloalkenyl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, C₆-C₁₄ aryl C₂-C₂₀ alkynyl, and the alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl portion of R² is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, sulfur, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkyl aminocarbonyl, aminoalkyl aminocarbonyl, and trialkylsilyl; R³ and R⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, thiol, ureido, C₁-C₆ alkyl carbonylamino, hydroxy C₁-C₆ alkyl, and hydrazinyl; and R⁵ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C₁-C₆ alkyl, C₂-C₆ alkenyl, C₂-C₆ alkynyl, heteroaryl, and C₁-C₆ aminoalkyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 24. The radiolabeled compound or salt of claim 23, wherein the halogen atom of R¹ is ¹⁸F, ⁷⁶Br, or ¹²⁵I.
 25. The radiolabeled compound or salt of claim 24, wherein R¹ is 3-bromobenzyl or 3-iodobenzyl, R² is halo, R³ and R⁴ are hydroxyl, and R⁵ is hydrogen.
 26. A method of imaging an A₃ adenosine receptor in a tissue or organ of an animal comprising administering an effective amount of a radiolabeled compound or salt of claim 23 to the animal and obtaining an image of the organ or tissue of the animal.
 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the image is obtained by a technique selected from the group consisting of Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT), Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and combinations thereof.
 28. A diagnostic method for determining a treatment of a patient for a possible agonist or antagonist of the A₃ adenosine receptors, the treatment comprising: (a) administering a radiolabeled compound or salt of claim
 23. (b) obtaining a biological sample from the patient; (c) determining the level of expression of the A₃ adenosine receptor; (d) comparing the level of expression of the receptor to that of a normal population; and (e) if the patient's level of expression is higher than that of the normal population, determining a treatment regimen comprising administering an agonist or antagonist of the adenosine receptor whose expression was higher in the patient than that of the normal population. 